A wireless remote controller for a set-top box (STB) can utilize radio frequency (RF) or infrared (IR) access technology to manage operations of the STB. IR remote controllers require line-of-sight connectivity to an STB. Some STBs that support an RF interface can be controlled instead by an RF remote controller with in some cases an operating range of up to 100 feet without the line-of-sight limitation of the IR remote controller.
Typically, when a remote controller is in use, the STB will update what is being presented on a TV screen, which in turn can change the viewing format of a program. For instance, if a user selects a guide button on the remote controller, some STBs will superimpose an electronic programming guide (EPG) on the program.
A manufacturer of remote controllers, such as tvCompass, Inc., has produced a remote controller that supports Wireless Fidelity (WiFi) technology for interconnecting over the Internet to an EPG system distributing programming information supplied by a company such as TV Guide™. TV Guide™ is a service provider of programming information that operates cooperatively but independently from a media service provider that supplies media services to STBs. A WiFi remote controller such as this can provide a user a means to browse through EPG data and other sources of information without altering TV programming while it is being presented by the STB.